Just like the Bauls in Bengal, and the Keertankaars in the Marathwada region, singing minstrels were a common sight in North Indian towns and cities until about three decades ago; then they vanished. Driven away by the security and safety paranoia of cities, and the allegations such as theft, these people moved to the hinterlands and were no longer seen singing on buses, trains, footpaths, or sometimes even outside temples. Covid pushed them further away. Was surprised to see them on the street this morning. I love how they mix Bhakti texts with film tunes and their simple choir-style singing. *I am still learning to edit videos. All geeks are welcome to teach.
Resting outside the gate of our nextdoor neighbour
тАЛAn excellent opportunity to promote the importance of the Science of Archaeology was wasted amid the din of overemphasizing faith. Bringing home the gems and relics of Buddha may indeed be a cause for celebration, yet the audio-videos were focussed only on the present master and the government of the day. In a text panel buried under heavy jargon is a line that says these relics have been ‘acquired by the Godrej Group through an┬аinnovative public-private partnership.’ Also, can the museum manager please buy a better megaphone for the guide and ask the gentleman to speak more softly? Seriously, it’s not a wedding venue!! Besides the gems and the relics – my find of the day┬аwas Elizabeth Brunner’s Walking Buddha (oil on woven mat) which transforms the Buddha-pada into dynamic steps with its soft forward march, and the Buddha painting by none other than Nandalal Bose. Do visit the show, only three weeks left of what is called as Piprahwa gems exhibition┬аbut is officially named ‘The Light of the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’, at the Qila Rai Pithora Fort and Cultural Complex, Lado Sarai on Press Enclave Marg, in Delhi.┬а *Piprahwa, in Siddharthnagar, U.P. is what was known as Kapilavastu.
The official statement posted by PIB on: 02 JAN 2026 says┬а The Ministry of Culture is hosting a landmark exposition showcasing the Piprahwa Relics, Reliquaries and Gem Relics, recently repatriated to India, at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex. The exposition is set to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 3rd January 2026 at 11.00 AM. This historic event marks the reunification of the Piprahwa gem relics of Lord Buddha, repatriated after 127 years, with relics, gem relics, and reliquaries from 1898 and then 1971-1975 excavations at the Piprahwa site. The exposition, titled “The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One,” thematically showcases relevant antiquities and works of art from several cultural institutions under the Ministry of Culture. These relics represent the most extensive assemblage attributed to the Buddha, symbolizing profound philosophical meaning, masterful craftsmanship, and global spiritual significance. The exhibition features over 80 objects spanning the 6th century BCE to the present, including sculptures, manuscripts, thangkas, and ritual objects. This unprecedented gathering commemorates the Ministry of Culture’s successful repatriation of the relics in July 2025, achieved through a public-private partnership, halting an auction at SothebyтАЩs Hong Kong. For the first time since the 1898 excavation, the exposition brings together:
Relics from the 1898 Kapilavastu excavation
Treasures from the 1972 excavations
Reliquaries and jewelled treasures from the Indian Museum, Kolkata
Recently repatriated relics from the Pepp├й family collection
Monolithic Stone Coffer within which the gem relics and reliquaries were originally found.
The sacred Buddha relics were discovered in 1898 by William Claxton Pepp├й at the ancient stupa of Kapilavastu. Following their discovery, portions were distributed globally, with one part gifted to the King of Siam, another taken to England, and a third preserved at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. In 2025, the Pepp├й family portion was repatriated through decisive intervention by the Ministry of Culture, supported by Buddhist communities worldwide. The exposition underscores India’s role as the birthplace of Buddhism and reinforces its position as a global spiritual and cultural leader. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s global engagement increasingly draws upon its civilizational and spiritual inheritance, 642 antiquities have been repatriated to India, with the return of the Piprahwa relics standing as a landmark achievement.
The inauguration will witness participation from Union Ministers, Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, venerable Buddhist monks, senior government officials, scholars, heritage experts, esteemed members of the art fraternity, art aficionados, followers of Buddhism, and students.
The exposition reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to heritage preservation and cultural leadership while celebrating India’s spiritual legacy and its significance as the birthplace of the Buddha Dhamma, reflecting IndiaтАЩs enduring commitment to preserving and sharing its civilizational heritage with the world.
A mere coincidence that I finished reading these two books in the supposed ‘Love Week’, the Valentine’s week. Happily both are written by Women and both are above Love. The best part is that one is in English the other one is Hindi. While one is about pleasant heart-aches the other is about heart breaks, Ah!!!. The one about romantic love, “Zikr-e-Yaar Chale: Love Notes” in Hindi, is by Pallavi Trivedi which picks the low hanging fruits of short fiction that we are living ‘now’, in the second quarter of 21st Century. The English one is “Heartbreak Unfiltered: Things nobody told you about love, loss and letting go” by Milan Vohra. As the title suggests these are the stories of heartbreaks from people interviewed by Milan over a decade. Heartbreak (not necessarily romantic) touches us all, regardless of age, gender or geography. Both books are about emotional bonds characterized by deep intimacy, mutual respect, and commitment as also but the pain and longing of the one lost. I enjoy the parallel play of words going on in my head when I am reading English and Hindi together. Strange, how metaphors, words, situations and even individual reactions differ in these two worlds which at times seem alien to each other. Loved reading both. Pallavi Trivedi, you have a hand on the nerve and have put together a world of contemporary fickle love. And Milan Vohra, thanks for the invite to the book launch, i wonder if you noticed many moist eyes in the audience. It is another thing that she didn’t sign my copy of the book. Amid these two my mind was buzzing with a number from the 80s – Tina Turner belting out ‘What’s Love got to do with it … that second hand emotion… who needs a heart when a heart can be broken…. what’s love….’ Cheer up gals and guys you never know when a Cherub attacks.
(Pix: Milan Vohra signing copies of her book at Kunzum bookstore in Delhi)
Ankahi. Unsaid. 
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